packing for tanzania: hiking kili, safari-ing in the serengeti and beach bumming in zanzibar

i will soon be headed to tanzania, which leads me to the topic of packing. i am averse to checking in luggage but i have no choice this time. i have too much gear to pack and i have too many climate zones to go through. in addition to tanzania, i am spending a few days in wintry london. so to recap: (1) kili means hiking gear from hot and humid to freezing; (2) safari means hot and humid to moderate temperatures; (3) zanzibar means beach wear and modest walking clothes due to the muslim population; and (4) london means urban winter wear. argh.

that being said, i would have been able to have gotten away with NOT checking in luggage but for the fact that i am bringing my own sleeping bag, walking sticks, and have to pack for london.

here are some tips:
1. for women, invest in a freshette. this will allow you to pee while standing up. this is especially helpful when it is freezing in kili and you don't want to, ahem, take off too much clothes to do your business.
here's a picture of a freshette:


2. don't bother bringing too much clothes for the hike. you won't be showering. you will be wearing the same clothes, for the most part. don't worry, everyone else around you will stink.

3. while #2 is true, bring enough underwear for everyday of the hike. no reason to be nasty.

4. while #2 is true, bring enough liner socks (coolmax) to change everyday. you want your feet to be as fresh as possible. what you could repeatedly wear without changing are the actual heavily cushioned smart wool hiking socks.

5. while #2 is true, make sure you have enough warm clothes (think layers) for the summit attempt, where it will be freezing.

6. make sure you have all the medications you need for the hike. consult with your doctor if you need any to prevent altitude mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and/or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). also get any vaccinations or meds for stuff that the CDC recommends (e.g., malaria, typhoid, hep a & b, etc.)

7. for the hike, there won't be any chargers. if you are bringing any electronic anything (camera, ipod, etc), make sure you have any extra batteries or some kind of solar charger. i wouldn't rely too much on the solar charger as it takes too long to charge and that could be a problem if you are bringing more than one electronic equipment (think camera and ipod).

8. for the safari, don't bring clothes with loud colors or patterns because you might scare off the animals.

9. for zanzibar, make sure you have modest clothing for touring around town. it is a muslim island so please, no tank tops or shorts. cover your shoulders and your knees.

while i have not done this trip before, i have previously hiked the inca trail, which meant 4 days of hiking with no showers and with a set amount of weight of stuff i could give to the porters. so i sort of know what i'm talking about, packing-wise.

will update this after i get back and see if i have any additional tips.